I haven't read the entire thing but I was concerned when I heard I'll pay more for registration based on the truck's weight.

(a) (I) A ROAD SAFETY SURCHARGE, WHICH, EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE
20 PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (III) OF THIS PARAGRAPH (a), SHALL BE
21 IMPOSED UPON THE REGISTRATION OF ANY VEHICLE FOR WHICH A
22 REGISTRATION FEE MUST BE PAID PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PART
23 3 OF ARTICLE 3 OF TITLE 42, C.R.S. ...

...6 (C) TWENTY-EIGHT DOLLARSFOR ANY VEHICLE THAT WEIGHS
7 MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS BUT NOT MORE THAN TEN THOUSAND
8 POUNDS;...__________________________________________________________________

1 PURPOSE, TO IMPOSE A BRIDGE SAFETY SURCHARGE, WHICH, EXCEPT AS
2 OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (III) OF THIS PARAGRAPH (g),
3 SHALL BE IMPOSED, ON AND AFTER JULY 1, 2009, OR ON AND AFTER SUCH
4 LATER DATE AS MAY BE DETERMINED BY THE BRIDGE ENTERPRISE, UPON
5 THE REGISTRATION OF ANY VEHICLE FOR WHICH A REGISTRATION FEE MUST
6 BE PAID PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PART 3 OF ARTICLE 3 OF TITLE
7 42, C.R.S. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPHS (IV), (V),
8 AND (VI) OF THIS PARAGRAPH (g), THE AMOUNT OF THE SURCHARGE SHALL
9 NOT EXCEED: ....

....17 (C) TWENTY-THREE DOLLARSFOR ANY VEHICLE THAT WEIGHS
18 MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS BUT NOT MORE THAN TEN THOUSAND
19 POUNDS; ....

And are they going to install scales at the DMV? or just go off the door sticker info? either way, I don't think an 80 ever weight under 5000 pounds, does it?

but their justification implies it's either this or raise gas prices...

Quote:

DUE TO THE DECLINE IN THE PURCHASING POWER OF THE
15 REVENUES GENERATED BY THE STATE AND FEDERAL MOTOR FUEL TAXES,
16 THE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO MAINTAIN,
17 REPAIR, RECONSTRUCT, OPERATE, AND IMPROVE SURFACE
18 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN A STRATEGIC, TIMELY, AND
19 EFFICIENT MANNER, WHICH HAS ALREADY CAUSED MANY BRIDGES IN THE
20 STATE TO BECOME STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT OR FUNCTIONALLY
21 OBSOLETE AND WORSENED THE CONDITION OF ROAD SURFACES, DELAYED
22 CAPACITY EXPANSION PROJECTS, AND INCREASED TRAFFIC CONGESTION
23 AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS; AND
24 (d) BECAUSE THIS DECLINE IN PURCHASING POWER IS ONGOING
25 AND BECOMES MORE SEVERE WITH EACH PASSING YEAR, THE STATE AND
26 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN,
27 REPAIR, RECONSTRUCT, OPERATE, AND IMPROVE SURFACE
-5- SB09-108
1 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN A STRATEGIC, TIMELY, AND
2 EFFICIENT MANNER, AND THE SAFETY, EFFICIENCY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL
3 IMPACT OF THE STATE'S SURFACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM WILL WORSEN
4 MORE QUICKLY IN THE FUTURE IF SUFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE FUNDING
5 SOURCES FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION CANNOT BE FOUND.

And are they going to install scales at the DMV? or just go off the door sticker info? either way, I don't think an 80 ever weight under 5000 pounds, does it?

Knowing the government .. I went on the high side and figured GVWR but I think the curb weight is listed at 4700 lbs +- so it could be less ($5 per surcharge) than what I posted but still a huge increase

Yep...Just like the Denver Water situation a couple years ago where they encouraged people to conserve water and people did such a great job of it that they had to raise rates to make up for the shortfall in revenues...

As gas prices go up and/or more and more people get more fuel efficient cars and the gas useage goes down, the state will see less $$ from taxes. So to thank us they'll start getting creative on ways to bring in the $$

And people wonder how it is possible that when the government actually cuts tax rates (to a point) they actually bring in more revenue vs. less...

10 years from now we'll all be driving hybrid cars the size of the Smart cars, and it will still cost $80 to fill the tank because gas will be $6/gal

They're even I guess putting the screws to my little ol' truck. The door label says GVW 5,350 lbs with a curb weight of 3,580 lbs (hopefully they don't use GVW!). I have weighed my truck and it comes in at 4,400 lbs empty and no WilderNest with just the driver and I end up between 5,500 and 6,000 lbs when fully loaded. For the Rubithon I'd have no surprise if I easily blew past the 6,000 lbs side.

these fee's pay for road maintenance. Most of these vehicles live 80% on those roads. I know I use those roads to make a living. Costs are going up. Revenue is flat. This is not a situation where you can say "just get more customers" because the cost ratio now for the current service model is flat to negative. Something has to change, so increase the revenue stream by increasing price based on something tangible that actually impacts the required maintenance and or product output.

Seems logical to me. You can complain about curb to gvw all you want, we drive vehicles designed to carry loads. To Dave's point, we do carry them. You do not build networks to carry the mean average, you build networks to handle the max spike repeatedly.

Ok - fume away

__________________
a near-death experience is just god following "catch and release" regulations...

The point is taken, John. But we already pay an agreed amount in the original license fee. This is changing the rules after the fact, which I do think is shifty. I do agree that heavier users should pay proportionally more. Maybe it should be a simple flat fee, $1/100 lbs or something. The GVW line is arbitrary, how much less damage is a 4,900 lbs truck doing than a 5,100 lbs truck?

The problem is that fee are not proportional. A 65,000 lbs semi truck does not pay per lbs or mile the same as I do or really an average user. If you ask me (and no one did), the only fair way is to make them toll roads and have everyone pay as they go. Why should some granny who puts 2,000 miles on her 2008 Lincoln pay the same registration as a CEO who does 15,000? Or why should a guy with a FZJ80 that weighs 4 tons but is driven twice a month pay the same registration as a concrete contractor with a F350 whose 4 ton rig is used every day?